December 15. The start to a new season of Formula E will also be the beginning of a new chapter of the electric racing championship in Saudi Arabia. The first ever SAUDIA Ad Diriyah E-Prix is historic already, as it flags off the Gen2 Formula E cars. As expected, they are faster, more powerful and more advanced than Generation 1.
The Generation 2 cars boast a high pedigree of making and share a common chassis and aerodynamic package. This was designed by French firm Spark and built in collaboration with the Dallara, who has a reputation of building its own Formula 1 cars and junior racing chassis to the Audi racing cars that conquered the le Mans 24 Hours from 2000-2014. The sleek rear features two massive venturi tunnels.
Jose Maria Lopez (ARG), Dragon Racing
The wheels and tyres are also kept homologous by sourcing them from one supplier. This helps to limit costs while reducing the gap between the performances of teams. The new, more powerful battery, provided by McLaren Advanced Technologies, not only boosts output and speed but also endurance. While the first-generation Formula E cars could complete 12-17 laps of a circuit (depending on length) on a single charge before having to switch to a second fully charged car, the new generation of cars will complete a full 45-minute race on a single charge. In as significant a change, the top speed has increased from 220 km/h (137 mph) to 283 km/h (176 mph) as the output in maximum power mode has moved up to 335 bhp – a whole 67 bhp more than the Gen1. This almost silences detractors who ridiculed the electric race as lackluster as it lacked the speed and the sound of Formula 1 racing.
Formula E started off with all teams using similar transmissions but that part of the drivetrain has since been deregulated. Now, the teams use a variety of gearboxes. Most of them use a one-gear distribution, so that they spend less time changing gears. However, there are a few teams that still race with both two and three speed gearboxes. Other deregulated factors in Gen2 Formula E include brake disc design and suspension layout.
The Formula E series is paying attention towards creating rules that push electric vehicle technology while ensuring that the series is exciting. Just like in Formula 1, tyres are a very important part of both team strategy and spectator excitement – a softer tyre would mean more grip but the tyres would be worn out faster. This season, the Gen2 cars will run on bespoke 18-inch Michelin Pilot Sport tyres, which will be used in both wet and dry conditions.
Antonio Felix da Costa (POR), BMW I Andretti Motorsports, BMW iFE.18
Making the Formula E more appealing to fans
CEO and founder, Alejandro Agag, envisages a racing series that allows fans to be closer to the action than allowed by traditional motorsport series. Since the inaugural race in Beijing in 2014, FIA and the Formula E team been working on this, and have come up with some exciting concepts – the latest bearing a distinct resemblance to the Mario Kart video game.
By introducing a function called Fanboost, Formula E becomes the only event in the world that allows fans to play a role in deciding the outcome of the race. Fans vote online for their favourite driver via Twitter or the Formula E app. The three drivers who receive the most votes get a significant burst of electricity made available in a five second window during the second half of the race. This extra burst of speed could be the difference between overtaking and lagging behind at a crucial moment. Transferring the excitement to watching fans would be the “halo” roll bar over the driver’s head that will flash green when Fanboost is activated.
The fan-involvement doesn’t stop there. Fans can test their skills against the professional racing drivers by using the online Ghost Racing feature to simultaneously drive on the same circuit as their racing icons. Fans see the track and real racing cars as well as their own digital ghost car in real-time, allowing them to go wheel-to-wheel with motorsport superstars like Felipe Massa and Lucas di Grassi. As expected of a socially active era, fans can upload clips of themselves stealing the cornering line from the real drivers!
Formula E is deliberately allowing the grounds of real-world racing and virtual gaming to overlap. For instance, catering to the fan club is another feature that was originally referred to as “Hyperboost,” which has been renamed “Attack Mode”. Drivers are allowed to exploit the Gen2 battery’s larger power arsenal and unlock a four-minute power increase from 200 kW to 225 kW when they pass special zones on the track. Alejandro Agag described it as being “like Mario Bros when they get the little star and go faster.” When this feature is activated, the “halo” roll bar will flash red!
Mitch Evans (NZL), Panasonic Jaguar Racing, Jaguar I-Type 3
The Saudia race
The racetrack is situated at the historic UNESCO World Heritage Site Ad Diriyah on the outskirts of Saudi Arabia’s capital Riyadh. The track is 5 metres short of two and a half kilometres, and has 21 turns on it. Tickets for the 2018 ‘Saudia’ Ad Diriyah E-Prix are already on sale at www.fiaformulae.com/AdDiriyah from only SAR 395, including race, concerts and activities. The superstars performing on the sidelines include Enrique Iglesias, David Guetta, Black Eyed Peas, Amr Diab, Jason Derulo and One Republic.
[Photos by ABB FIA Formula E, England]
